For biologists studying wolves, the North Pole is a challenging place to do research – especially during the arctic winters when temperatures reach 70 degrees below zero and the sun doesn’t show its face for months at a time. But with a new development in technology plus a little help from a wolf named Brutus, researchers are able to track the animals during the winter months as they migrate in search of food.
United States Geological Service and Northwest Territories biologists affixed Brutus with a high-tech collar that communicates information about his pack’s whereabouts to the scientists via satellite. Although it might seem insignificant to those unfamiliar with arctic wolf research, this is big-time news. According to Wired, the data being returned is literally ‘unprecedented.’
USGS biologist David Mech told Wired:
No one has ever collared a wolf within 1,000 miles of the Brutus’ pack,
The data reveals that the wolves are movers and shakers that covered 1,683 miles in the month of November alone. In one trip Brutus and his pack trudged 80 miles in just 84 hours.
You can follow Brutus’ travels through the USGS blog on the Arctic Wolves of Ellesmere Island and see photographs of the animals.
[Via: Wired]
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